Matthew Liu

Matthew Ti-Hua Liu was born to Tao-An Liu and Yu-Mei Liu, on September 16, 1939 in Meixian District of Meizhou, Guangdong, China. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, April 4, 2026 at the age of 86. Matthew was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. In 1954, he left China for India and eventually pursued education at St. Joseph University at Darjeeling, India. Matthew then emigrated from India to the United States in 1964 and landed in New York City. With just $200 hidden in his sock, he began a journey defined by grit and a quiet, unshakable strength. His early days were spent in the kitchens in New York’s Chinatown, where he faced every hardship—from stretching a single chicken to last a week to standing up for his hard-earned wages—with dignity. Though he often had to set aside his own dreams to work and send money home to his family in India, his perseverance never wavered. He attended the University of Akron on a scholarship, where he earned a Master’s degree in Chemistry with a focus in Polymer Science. He began to pursue a Ph.D. in the same field, however, he ultimately stepped away from the program to prioritize family needs. In Akron, he also found his footing by building a community of friends, meeting his wife, Leonita, and starting their family. Inspired by seeing the Apollo space capsule on display at the University of Akron, Matthew dedicated his career to aerospace. He spent his professional life at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, where his inventions became a vital part of history. He achieved several inventor awards with NASA, including the coating for the external tank that helped make the first Space Shuttle launch possible in 1981, a feat that earned him a U.S. Patent in High Temperature Ablative Foam in 1992. He used to say that in the space program, "sometimes it just comes to you," but those who knew him best saw a man whose genius was only matched by his heart and his tireless work for the people he loved. Matthew loved the simple things in life. An avid tennis player, he stayed active for years. He admired the blue Corvette his first manager owned, and was able to fulfill one of his life’s goals when he finally bought his own Corvette in 1996. In his downtime, Matthew was happiest relaxing with a glass of his favorite scotch. Matthew is survived by his former wife, Leonita, his three children, James (Kulpreet), Kevin (Jenny), and Michael (Parisa), and six grandchildren Ravleen, Jus, Jeevan, Summer, Gavin, and Emma. He is also survived by his siblings Ching-Ming Liu (David Sullivan), Yueh-Ming Chen (Kuo-Tsai Chen), Hsiu-Ming Pan (Yuan-Sheng Pan), and Lee-Fah Liu (Jasmine Liu), and his four nephews (Ian, Shaun, Geoffrey and Christopher) and their families who love and respect him. The family will host a funeral service at Magnolia Funeral Home (800 Magnolia Blvd, Magnolia, TX 77355) on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 9:30 am and cremation at 10:45 am. The Addison family and staff of Magnolia Funeral Home extend condolences to the Liu family during this difficult time.